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PARRISH C. VEEKS, OF LAMAR, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY -NINE ONE- HUNDREDTI'IS TO Il. R. HOUSTON AND CHARLES WV. BOZARTH, OF SAME PLA OE.

CAR-COUPLING,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,755, dated February 18, 1896. Application led September 12,1895. Serial NO- 562,308. (NO mOdeL) To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, PARRISH C. WEEKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lamar, in the county of Barton and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Oar- Ooupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of pin-andlink car-couplings with a view to enabling cars to couple automatically without the necessity of an attendant going between the same.

To the above end the invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved car-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a car-body. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the car-coupling, 85o., showing the manner in whichalink is held in proper position for coupling. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the parts in position ready for automatic coupling. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the vertically-movable pin carrying bar or hanger. Fig. 5 is a front v iew of the hollow crank for lifting the pin-hanger, the same being. partly in section to show the manner of securing the inner adjacent ends of the divided rock-shaft by which the coupling is operated.- j

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a.

draw-head, vthe same being mounted upon a car-body 2 and provided with a link opening or cavity the said drawhead being also formed in its bottom wall with a vertical perforation for the reception of the lower end ofl the coupling-pin and having in its upper wall a slot for the passage of a verticallymovable pin carrying bar or support 3, in which the coupling-pin 4 is removably mounted. The lower portion of the bar or hanger 3 passes through a perforation in the bottom wall of the draw-head, as shown, and at a suitable point intermediate its ends said bar or hanger has a forwardly-projecting horizontal shoulder 5, which in its lower position engages the inner end of the coupling-link and depresses the same into the concavity in the upper face of the lower wall of the draw-head in such manner. as to elevate the outer free end of the link in the manner-shown in Fig. 2, in which position the said link is in readiness to be projected into an opposing drawhead. The bar or hanger 3 is also provided at its top with a forwardly-projecting head 6, which is perforated to receive the couplingpin 4:. The upper portion of this perforation is enlarged or expanded to receive the head of the coupling-pin and to form a shoulder upon which said head may rest, the upward movement of said pin being arrested by a transverse web or superposed wall `S. The weight of the coupling-pin and the verticallymovable bar or pin support both contribute to hold the inner end of the coupling-link down or in position for coupling, as in Fig. 2, the forward end of the link being tilted upward in readiness to enter the opposing drawhead.

The coupling-pinmay be removed by lifting the bar or pin support 3 until the lower end of the coupling-pin passes out of the perforation in the top wall of the draw-head, when, by moving the lower end of the pin forward, the head thereof may be tilted backward sufficiently to enable the said pin tol be removed from the bar or pin support 3 in rear of the transverse web or shoulder 8.

The operation of uncoupling the cars is effected from the sides of the car by means of a transverse rock-shaft 9, journaled in suitable bearings on the ends of the car, and provided at Y its outer extremities with crankhandles l0, in which are formed the fingerslots l1 for protecting the hands of the attendant while manipulating the coupling. The shaft 9 is centrally divided and the inner adjacent ends are secured to an interposed hollow crank-arm 12. This arm comprises similar side plates 13, which are spaced a suitable distance apart and connected at their top and rear edges by means of a transverse web 14, and said plates are further provided IOO with outwardly and oppositely extending hollow bosses 15, into which are inserted the tapering inner adjacent ends of the sections of the rock-shaft Q, said ends being secured against escape and against rotation with relation to said arm 12 by means of pins or keys 1G.- The bore in each of the bosses 15 is given an outward flare, and the extremities of the rock-shaft sections which enter said bores are given a taper and fitted loosely therein,while the perforations in the extremities of the rockshaft sections are tapered both ways from the center, so as to render the same capable of rocking on the pins or keys 16. By reference to the drawings it will also be seen that the rock-shaft sections are supported adjacent to the centrally-located crank by means of longitudinally-slotted brackets 17, the object of which is to admit of a sufficient amount of play of the rock-shaft sections in a line longitudinally of the car for adapting the hollow crank-arm 12 to the various positions and movements of the draw-head, as will more fully appear. The side plates of the hollow crank are also formed with upper and lower series of transversely-aligning perforations, the upper perforat-ions being intended to receive and permit the adjustment of a pin or bolt 1S, from which a short section of chain or other ilexible connection 19 extends to and connects with the pin-support 3, and the lower perforations being intended to receive a pin or bolt 23, against which the chain or the head oi' the pin-support 3 is adapted to rest when in its lifted position. The lower end of the chain 19 is capable of being adjusted to any one of a series of perforations 20 formed in the head of the pin-support 3.

21 designates a pair of bearing-brackets secured adjacent to the corners of the car and receiving the outer ends of the roek-shaft 9. The handles on the end of the rock-shaft are arranged to extend upward when the central hollow crank 12 is raised and the couplingpin in position vfor automatic coupling, as shown in Fig. 3, and said handles (indicated at 10) are painted white or any distinctive color in order that they may be readily seen by the trainmen and serve as a signal to indicate that the car is in a position for coupling.

The object in providing for the adjustment of the pin or bolt 1S with relation to the arm 12 is to change the point of support of the chain which upholds the pin-support or bar. The upper end of the pin-support when raised rests against the pin or bolt 23 in the arm 12, below the fulcrum thereof, and the upper end of the crank-arm 12 hangs over in rear of its fulcrum and bears against the-end of the carbody, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the chain 19 securely upholds the pin-support in position ready for automatic coupling. As the cars come together and the link is thrust into the draw-head, the head ofthe pinsupport is moved backward with the drawhead, and, acting upon the pin or bolt 23,

throws the upper end of the crank-arm 12 away from the car, thus allowing the pinsup port to descend and the coupling-pin to pass through and engage the link.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the coupling is entirely automatic in its action, and that the pin-support is tripped and allowed to descend by reason of the draw-head forcing the head of the pinsupport against the pendent portion of the central hollow crank-arm, thereby rocking the upper end of said crank-arm away from the car-body and throwing the same beyond the dead-center. It will also be seen that not only do the pin-support and coupling-pin combine their weight to depress the inner end of the link, but the coupling-pin is effectively guided into and through the vertically-align ing perforations formed therefor in the drawhead.

One of the most important advantages of the invention resides in the fact that should the coupling pin for any reason become broken it may be readily removed and replaced by a new one, the said coupling-pin being identical with those now in common use.

The coupling is simple and inexpensive in construction, positive and reliable in operation, and renders it possible to automatically couple cars without going between the same.

A ear may also be uncoupled from the roof or top thereof by means of a flexible cable 24, which attaches at its lower end to an eye 25 in the upper portion of the hollow crank, as shown, the upper end of said cable being arranged within convenient reach of a brakeman on top of the car.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claimed as new is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination with a car, of a draw-head secured thereto, a coupling-pin, bearing-brackets mounted on the car, a centrally-divided rock-shaft journaled in said brackets, a hollow crank-arm interposed between and fast on the inneradjacent ends of said divided rock-shaft, a flexible conneetion between said cranksarm and the coupling-pin, and means for adjusting the point of attachment of said iiexible connection with the crank-arm, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a vertically1novable pin-support mounted in the draw-head and having a shank portion extending through the bottom of the draw-head and forming a stop for limiting the inward movement of the link and also provided with a horizontal shoulder adapted to engage the link, said pin-support being pro vided at its top with a socket, a coupling-pin detachably arranged in said socket and located in advance of said shoulder, means for preventing the displacement of the couplingpin, a hollow crank located above the pin IOO IIO

support and mounted to reciprocate longitudinally, means for operating said crank, and a iieXible connection between the pin-support and crank7 substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head, of a vertically-movable pinsupport and guide working through openings in the draw-head an d having a pendent shank forming a back stop for the link, said pin-support being further provided with a socket for the reception of the head of the coupling-pin and having a superposed shoulder orstop for preventing the accidental displacement of said coupling-pin therefrom, an operatingcrank for lifting the pin-support and a flexible connection between the latter and said crank, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination with a car7 and a draw-head mounted thereon, of a coupling-pin, a centrally-divided rock-shaft mounted in bearings on the car-body and supported adjacent to its inner ends in slotted brackets, a hollow operating-crank coupled loosely to and interposed between the inner adjacent ends of the rock-shaft sections and capable of longitudinal movement with the draw-head, and a flexible connection between said crank-arm and the coupling-pin, all arranged for the purpose and substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head, of a pin-support movable vertic-ally through openings in the draw-head, a couplingpin carried thereby7 a hollow crank arranged in longitudinal alignment with the pin-support and capable of longitudinal movement, provision for operating said crank for 

